Judge Robinson Invokes Judge Jackson On 24th Mauro-Sheridan Rendezvous

Retired state judge Angela Robinson visited students at Mauro-Sheridan Thursday for the 24th consecutive year — partly in honor of a late educator who first brought her to the school, partly in honor of another woman poised to make history on the bench.

Robinson sat in on Black history presentations in Kimberly Francis’s eighth-grade social studies class. She planned to visit the class as usual in February, which is Black History Month, but had to reschedule. Instead, she came at the start of Women’s History Month, so she focused her conversation with the students on the achievements of Black women.

“President Biden has announced that he has nominated a Black woman judge named Ketanji Brown Jackson to be the next United States Supreme Court justice, and this will be the first time a Black woman is ever going to be on the court,” Robinson said.

She told the students about a book she wrote, called First Black Women Judges, and said she is working on another version of the book to include Judge Jackson. Robinson told the students about how Jackson grew up in Miami and learned in high school that she loved debate. ​“She decided that the way she could change the world was by being a really good judge and by being fair and dispassionate.”

Robinson detailed Jackson’s biography about her time on district and appellate courts and eventually working as a clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer, whom she would replace on the court.

Robinson added another figure to commemorate Thursday: legendary Mauro Sheridan teacher Lennell Williams, who coordinated Robinson’s first visit. Williams passed unexpectedly earlier this year.

Mauro-Sheridan support staffer Sean Hardy has been helping teach Williams’s social studies class in his absence, and coordinated Judge Robinson’s visit Thursday. Hardy had known Williams for 25 years.

“This year, we dedicated Black History Month to Mr. Lennell Williams, who served the community 35 years. Judge Robinson, on our invite, started coming December 1997, which is almost 25 years ago. She has not missed a year, even through Zoom,” Hardy said.

Robinson told the students that learning about these accomplished Black individuals’ lives can help them understand more about themselves and their own heritage. 

Learning about Dr. Charles Drew and Dr. Patricia Bath demonstrated to one student, Xena, how the scientists ​“pushed through,” despite the racism they faced, to make a difference in the world.

Another student, Cashaun, looked at Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan — two men Robinson called GOATs (Greatest of All Time) in their field. The student agreed with Jackson’s characterization, but argued LeBron James is the basketball GOAT, which prompted a lighthearted discussion about generational differences.

Robinson remarked that Ella Baker, an activist that a student named China presented on, worked behind the scenes in the Civil Rights movement, and asked if the student thought her identity as a woman had something to do with her background role.

“She was more of an activist for saying that, ​‘Strong people don’t need strong leaders,’ but I don’t think it had anything to do with her being a woman.” China said she thinks women do have the power to be at the forefront of movements, and agreed that there couldn’t have been the Civil Rights movement without Ella Baker.

Later, Robinson remarked about the creative and technical components of the projects that made each one unique. Students designed web pages that allowed them to scroll through the different photos and quotes from the people they selected. Design choices allowed students to pick colors, font, and layout to communicate their ideas in an artistic and comprehensive way.

When Robinson asked if students knew how long the Supreme Court has existed, a boy was quick to answer, ​“Ever since the Constitution was instituted.”

“Yes, it has been around for 223 years. In 223 years, do you know how many Black people have been on the Supreme Court?”

Robinson told the students about the two Black justices, Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas. Another student noted that in that same time, there has never been a Black woman justice.

There then was a discussion about why having representation on the Supreme Court matters. One student said it is important to ​“reflect the diversity in American society.”

Robinson asked the students if they think it is fair that almost 93 percent of justices have been white men.

“It’s unfair because it might be that they would not only choose what they think would be best for white people, but also white men instead of women or Black people,” said a student.

“Everyone should get representation, and all these people are being taxed, of course, so it’s unfair that they don’t get representation,” contributed another.

Robinson echoed the students’ statements and remarked, ​“One of the things we know is that when we get diverse groups together, they make better decisions because they have different input.”

At the end of the class period, a student stood up to read a message to Judge Robinson on behalf of their class. 

“At this time, we would like to thank you for coming to our classroom today, and for all of your insights and visits over the years. We hope that you remember us and come back again for next year’s class. We also want to thank Mrs. Francis and personally Mr. Hardy, who has been tireless in his efforts to bring interesting, inspirational people to our classroom to enrich our lives. Thank you,” she said.

In Robinson’s 24 years of visiting the school, she has given motivational presentations, read books to younger grades, and coordinated field trips to her judge’s chambers at the courthouse with Hardy. ​“The students got a chance to meet lawyers, marshals, other judges and attorneys,” Hardy said of their field trips, which often centered around Law Day.

“Some of them live right downtown past the court house but never had the opportunity of visiting a live courtroom with a real judge that’s not Judge Judy on television,” Hardy said. ​“The connection we have had with Judge Robinson is unbelievable.”

Hardy showed Robinson the memorial wall that the students had put together in honor of their late teacher.

Robinson said she loves coming to visit the school every year. ​“You saw the brilliance in that room. And that’s not unusual, that is every year,” she said. ​“I was tired when I got here because I’ve got so much going on. But I leave energized. This is why I do it, and I’ve talked to some of these kids’ parents, and it’s wonderful.”

“It’s wonderful to see that this actually means something to them, that this makes a difference for them. They’re always telling me that. It’s a great honor.”